Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Nonstick baking spray with flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups leftover mashed sweet potatoes (or 40-oz. can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch loaf pans with baking spray. In a medium bowl, sift next six ingredients [flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt].

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, cream butter, sugars, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Blend in sweet potatoes, then eggs, one at a time. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in thirds; combine just enough to blend.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans. Sprinkle pecans over batter. Bake until cakes test clean when a skewer is inserted into centers, 70 to 80 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

From County Living magazine, Nov. 2010, p. 118.